Londoner

Flooding is a problem in the north at the moment. Chiang Rai has been badly hit- some may have heard about the guy in the cave rescue being rescued again, this time from the roof of his home- and people have been killed by mud-slides in CM. Not a good time to visit, IMHO.

In my salad days (my fifties) my Thailand day was from 10.00am until 0100. Now it is from 0700 until 2100. O tempores, o mores. While I miss the excitement of those late nights, I enjoy getting-up early to enjoy the cool, fresh air from the sea as I do my "constitutional" along Jomtien Beach. And I'm by no means alone; plenty of guys of my age do the same. And joggers too, mainly young women. I sometimes marvel as to how accommodating Pattaya and Jomtien have been to my ageing process. I loved those nights of bars and sanuk but what I do now gives me enormous satisfaction.

I recall my inability to complete the Thailand Pass without the help of a neighbour....yes, I'm that incompetent on these d**n machines. And also that , two days after receiving my "welcome to Thailand" email, the procedure was dropped. Now, I have to face the angst of another fight with my computer or, alternatively, another humiliating "please help the old guy next door" request to my neighbour. No chance of a waiver for those of us of a certain age, I suppose? After all, I've been supporting the Thai economy for twenty five years.

Any newbie to Thailand should be aware that hiv is still a serious issue and that, despite improved medication resulting in it not being a death sentence, victims can be assured of a lifetime of tablets and monthly check-ups. And fear. Add to this the social stigma, particularly in the provinces. You should assume that any commercial or "just for fun" partner is hiv+ and act accordingly. A young guy like the poster has decades of fun (and even perhaps a rewarding relationship) ahead of him; a bad decision, fuelled by drink drugs or desire, can change all that. So he should bring his own condoms and lube and not have unprotected sex, including oral. That issue has been thoroughly discussed on this forum so he should check the archives. And, finally, ensure that he is not unwittingly infecting his partners.

Congestion? I've used it six times since Covid ended, arriving at a busy time (1600 or so) and I've never had more than three people in front of me.

Yes...."same same"!

Anyone speak Thinglish with his boyfriend? P hates me speaking Thai. And it has to be admitted that I'm pretty bad at it when I try. In fact, I no longer dare to. However, over the years we have developed our own version of Thinglish. The embarrassing thing is I that when I arrive back home, I find myself still speaking it!

"Elderly....?" Thank heavens for that! You youngsters don't need it as much as we do!

If we are to pursue this topic, it would be amusing to note other Thai words or derivatives which falang visitors discover early on in their associations with Thailand. Here's a few; Mamasan, khatoey, aroi-na, baht-bus, check-bin, bir-sing, mau. And sawatdee-khrap, of course.

I recommend "Thai for Gay Tourists" by Saksit Pakdeesiam (Paiboon Publishing). A few Thai Gay phrases will impress the average go go dancer enormously. Some may be out of date now....such things have a limited shelf-life. And I'm told that some are not for polite society. "Ching-chong" is the term that a little boy would use when speaking to Mama. Our "pee" as Colmx points out. Harmless.

I very much support the views of those who speak of the benefits lone-travel. The one thing I'd add is that it helps enormously if there are plenty of English speakers around. I loved my single-travel in northern Thailand before I met P but I'd have loved to have been able to speak with the locals. So limited was my Thai (it's even worse now) that I couldn't even explain to a shopkeeper on the way up to Doi Inthanon that I desperately (really desperately) needed a ching-chong. My physical actions to describe the agony I was in would have caused my arrest in Bangkok. I found in West and East Africa plenty of English speakers, thanks to British colonialism and the teaching of the language in schools. However when I went in-land, away from tourist areas, it was more difficult. I remember being less successful in Morocco "off the beaten track" where my appalling French encouraged pity. In Palestine, so many people spoke good English that I was able to travel by bus anywhere. And, obviously, everyone had a story to tell and a demand that I repeat it when I arrived home. The children had been taught in school to welcome us, even though my country had betrayed Palestine continually for ninety years. "Welcome to Palestine; you are most welcome here," was a constant. It must be be in some school text-book. Overall, the vulnerability of being alone, strangely enough, was often a bonus in foreign parts. My experience is that wherever you go, you can make friends by being open , willing to listen, interested and courteous. And, it goes without saying, being sensible and following local advice. Here follows my usual banality; "the poorer the people and the more disadvantaged, the warmer the welcome you receive. "

When I was single, I found the afternoons in Pattaya difficult to fill. Jomtien beach was fine for a couple of hours but no longer than that for me, and the go go didn't start until 2100. There were only two gay massage places, both far away from Boyztown but with only a handful of masseurs available; and no apps in those far-off days, obviously. Even TV was limited, very limited in the sort of hotels I could afford. No mobiles. Nor laptops. Royal Garden was newly-open (two floors of it) and there was some cruising there but I was much too shy; I needed gogo bars. I suppose I was lonely. The only people I knew in Pattaya were "short-time" friends. And of course, that particular tribe only comes out to play after dusk. This was the time I stopped being lonely. So , all I can say now to younger guys is "count your blessings". The internet, the numerous a/c-ed malls. Even TV. Hotels that are probably more comfortable than they were thirty years ago in my price range. Massage guys and willing visitors to hotel rooms are available twenty-four hours a day. No time to be lonely!

Those of us "of a certain age" may find the issue of disturbing neighbours on a flight a little embarrassing. For me, it's immediate access to a toilet or stay at home. More seriously, I can now travel only Business Class, where all seats are singles and there are more toilets per seat, to avoid being considered an Undesirable Passenger. For those younger than me who cannot hide a smirk, all I can say is "Wait and see."

Twice, as a forty-eight year-old youngster in the first flush of my love -affair with Thailand, I travelled from London for a five day stay. And loved every minute of it. I have no memory of how I coped back at work the day after my return, though perhaps my colleagues have!

Here's three, though I've posted more than once on the gay scene in CM on this site. ibischiangmai.com travelgay.com nomadicboys.com Not my recommendations; just for info.

Not as cute as the Asian ice-skaters someone posted on this site some time ago!

Massage "shops"? I seldom went inside one....if I fancied one of the available guys sitting outside, I'd "off" him to my hotel, to ensure a decent shower, a comfortable bed and walls that weren't paper thin. In my innocence, I thought that this was the usual practice in our community. Wasn't it?

And worth every penny....though, some may say, not a penny more!

F & C was credited with saving the working class during the Depression , particularly in the north. Of course, there was a fishing industry then... As an aside, do other posters remember that we used to wrap our chips in newspaper back in the fifties? Some claimed that the print actually enhanced the taste! Here's poem by the "Mersey sound" poet , Roger McGough, from the Beatles era. Sometimes I feel Like a priest In a fish and chip queue Quietly thinking As the vinegar runs through How nice it would be To buy supper for two.

No one who never tasted British school dinners of the 1950s is qualified to discuss the awfulness of our cuisine!

Th refurbishment is very successful, the enlarged premises attractive with a high ceiling (so important here) and six ceiling fans. Good quality furnishings with the tables far enough apart to allow privacy. Menu and prices the same. And that means the chicken and cashew nuts should not be missed. Obviously! Open yesterday, but from next week, the Tuesday closures will be back.

Yes. I was given the good news on Sunday evening. Not good news, however, for Sandbank, which appeared to gather-up the refugees from Dicks. Including us! A decent place, by the way, even if its Thai menu is a little limited. Updated review of the new Dicks to follow.

Crowds follow crowds....an upward spiral creates its own momentum in terms of popularity, as does a downward one. I've noted the same phenomenon in restaurants.

Correct. And as far as the change to Boyztown is concerned, this was also when the BoysBoysBoys bar became BoyzBoyzBoyz. Not unconnected to lurid tabloid accounts of goings-on in Sunee. The Thais do indeed refer to it as "Boy Town"..... they cannot pronounce an "s" at the end of a word, can they? A Thai language specialist can correct me if I'm wrong. By the way, I am pretty sure I remember some signs erected at that time referring specifically to the absence of underage guys in Boyztown. i can't remember exactly but i think it also mentioned drugs being banned.

I second omega's comment about CM's distinctive vibe. More targeted towards locals than tourists. More relaxed. More casual....although I'm not sure what I mean by that. I have a memory of Adam's Apple in the late 90s when the premises was packed....an undeniable fire hazard back then! Most of the audience were CMU students or other youngish guys. And no less attractive than the performers. I'd explored Bangkok, Phuket and Pattaya but CM was different, pleasantly so. However, I can also understand floridabob's post. The gay scene was spread-out over the city; it wasn't the place for bar-crawling. i also recall the late opening hours. I found the early evenings difficult to fill.